Aircraft armament



March 6, 1945. M. s. UNTERMAN AIVRCRAT ARMAMENT Filed Oct. 5, 1940 o l .3 5 'e 5 Z1 \"y/ i umu Mh y 40 fo MANUEL 5. 'U/Yf/fMA/ ,4 A I INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1945- l AIRCRAFT ARMAMENT- Manuel s. Unterm, Far Rockaway, N. Y., usignor to Republic Aviation Corporation, a oorporation of Delaware Application October 5, 1940, Serial No. 359,894

(ci. ssi-37.5)

9 Claims.

This invention relates to aircraft armament,

-having reference more particularly to gun mounts for airplanes.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an adjustable gun mount particularly adapted for support of a gun in a relatively thin 'airplane' wing without the usual projection of mounting elementsoutside the wing contour.

Another object is to provide a simple and rugged gun mount having provision for elevational or .vertical adjustment, the gun mount 'being of a minimum vertical dimension to accommodate the gun and its mountfor housing entirely in the close interior of a'relatively thin airplane wing.

-A further object is to provide agun mount having an improved releasable locking device to facilitate removal of the gun from the airplane, the deviceA being effective to hold the gun with a wedging action securely against vibration and yet aifording quick release.

Another object resides in the provision of a gun mount having a rotatable member for vertical gun adjustments and a lock device for releasing the gun, the latter functioning also to securely lock the adjustment member against unintended rotation in either direction.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. I

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a view in cross-section of an airplane Wing showing a typical arrangement of the gun, including the gun mount of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the gun mount as viewed from a point just below the gun Figure 3 is a side elevational view partly in section of the gun mount.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line. 4 4 of Figure 3,] and,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the center line 5--5 of Figure 2, and showing the mount adjusted to maximum elevation.

As illustrated in Figure 1, 'the typical arrangement of the gun 6 in an airplane wing I usually provides a two-point mounting for the gun including a front mount 8 and a rear mount 9. The front mount 8 is usually a universal mount. accommodating pivotal movement4 of the gun in 'both a horizontal and a vertical direction. In adjustment of the guns position with reference to the fore and aft axis of the plane to attain the desired alignment of the gun, it is the usual practice to make adjustment at therear mount 9 which has provision for both vertical and lateral adjustment. To facilitate removal of the gun, the'two mounts I and 9 usually each have releasable lock devices, operation of which affords instant separation of'certain elements of each mount, which elements areintel-locked when the gun is in place in the wing. The present invention is directed to provide certain improvements in the rear mount 9, illustrated in detail in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive.

The guns is secured to the mount 9 by a pair of bearing lugs III extending downwardly in which trunnlons I I are journalled, the latter lbeing threadedly secured in a block I2 arranged betweeny the gun ylugs III. The mount 9 includes a base I3 ai'iixed by suitable means to the wing structure. and presenting` a frame open at the bottom and having longitudinal side members M on which aplaterally adjustable carriage I5 is slidably supported. The carriage I5 is mounted for lateral movement on the base frame I3 by a slide rod I6 fixed at each endin the frame members Il and engaged in a transversal bore I'I in the carriage. The carriage I5 is further supported by a rotatable shaft I8 journalled in the frame side members I4 and having an externally threaded sleeve 20 fixed thereon by suitable means such as a key 2l, the sleeve 20 engaging internal threads in a transversal bore 22 of the carriage I5. Spacer collars 23 are provided between each of the sleeve ends and the adjacent frame member I4. Rotation of the shaft I8 turns the threaded sleeve 20 and thus imparts a lateral movement to the carriage to adjust the gun 5 in a horizontal direction. which adjustment is secured by suitable means such as a set screw 24A arranged inlthe carriage I5 to engage the sleeve.

'I'he carriage l5 has a vertical aperturev or socket 25 in which the lower end member or journal 26 of an adjustment post 21 is journalled, the latter -having a radially enlarged portion 20 forming an annular thrust shoulder seating on the upper face of the carriage I5. The post 21 extends upwardly into the aforesaid block I2 which has a central, vertical bore 3U threaded at its lower portion, the upper portion providing a counter-bore 3l. The post 21 has a threaded section 32 engaging the threads of said bore and having a length approximating the depth of the block I2. The post2'l has secured toits upper end face a disk 3l forming a stop adapted to engage an annular shoulder 35 of the block when the mount is adjustedto maximum elevation, see Figure 5.

A locking device is provided which cooperates withy the post 21 to releasably hold the gun l on the mount base. The lower end member or journal 23 of the post has a circumferential groove tapered to form a conical section 36. A tapered locking member or bolt 31, also of conical form, is disposed tangentially of the post end member or journal 26 and is arranged to slide axially in a bore of the carriage I5. A spring 33 within said bore is backed by a plug 33 in the bore end and presses the bolt 31 to bring its conical periphery into a wedging engagement with the conical section 36. Co-action of the bolt 31 with the post 21 is such as to wedge the post downwardly and thus hold the thrust shoulder 2l of the post firmly against the face of the carriage I5. Two locking bolts 31 are preferably provided to engage diametrically opposite portions of the conical groove 36. Each bolt 31 is provided with a push rod 40 projecting through a reduced bore 5 in the carriage I5. To the free end of each push mount in normal association, while affording convfenient and instant removal of the gun.

Having now made certain the nature and purl' posea of my invention, and at least one mode of secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:`

l. An elevational adjustment device for an aircraft gun, comprising a support attachable to i the aircraft and having a socket, a block attachrod is secured a yoke or handle 4I by whichboth i bolts 31 may be simultaneously operated. Manual pressure on the handle 4I slides the lbolts 31 against the pressure of the springs 38 until the conical section of the bolt is entirely out of the aperture 25, thereby freeing the post 21 for axial withdrawal from said aperture in removing the By rotatably mounting or journaling the lower end member or journal 26 in the socket'of carriage I5, the post 21 may be rotated so that the threaded cooperation between the member I2 and the post will produce a vertical adjustment oi' the rear end of the gun without removing any parts or` destroying the total assembly. In the event the cooperation between the tapered groove 36 and the pins 31 is such that this rotation is hampered or retarded the pins 31 can be moved 'A slightly against the action of the springs 38 to reduce the pressure, which will permit the rota.- tion of the post 31 without its being disengaged,

been made by the rotation of the head 26 and post 21 the pins 31 may be allowed to return to their normal operative positions locking the head against axial or rotary movement.

It will also be noted that the wedging action of the bolts 31 produces a locking eifect on the post 21 to prevent rotation of the latter in either direction, in that a tendency to rotate the post in one direction or the other causes an increase of the wedging action. A set screw 42 threaded in the block I2 and engaging the post 21 may be provided to maintain the elevational adjustment of the mount when the latter is removed from the carriage I5.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention provides a simple and rugged gun mount,

the vertical dimension of which is minimized by the organization of the carriage I5, the post 21 i and the block I2 together with the locking device embodied in the bolts 31. The gun mount, because of its minimum vertical size, is yparticularly suited for the support of a gun in a relatively thin airplane wing. The organization of the mount elements affords adequate elevational adjustment for the gun, as well as lateral adjustment, and also provides a dependable locking device to firmly hold the separable parts of the and after the proper or 4desired adjustment has :E

able to the gun and having a through verticalbore including a threaded lower portion and a counterbored 4upper portion with an annular shoulder-therebetween, and a post journalled at its lower end in the support socket and normally projecting through the block bore, said post having a threaded section engaging the threaded portion of said block and including Ya stop member at its upper end engageable with the annular shoulder'of said block in the full lelevated adjustment of the device.

2. In a separable gun mount a memberhaving a socket, a gun post removably seated in said socket, and releasable locking means to hold said gun post within the socket, comprising a pair of spring-pressed lock bolts slidable in said member and disposed tangentially of' said post, said 106kr bolts and said post each having surfaces inclined from the respective longitudinal axes thereof, said surfaces coacting to create a constant seating thrust of the post in said socket.

3. 1n a separable gun mount including a mounting member having a socket and a gun ypost seatable in said socket, releasable locking 'means comprising a pair of conical members slidable in said mounting member and disposed tangentially of said post in a plane transverse to the axis thereof, said post having a conical portion engageable by said conical members to press down said post securely on said mounting member.

4. A separable mount for an aircraft gun .adapted for elevational gun adjustment comprising a support attachable to the aircraft and hav- `ing a socket. a normally fixed member 0n thegun having a threaded.bore, a threaded post seated in said support socket and adapted for axial withdrawal therefrom, said post extending into the threaded bore of said member, whereby the threads of the post and bore cooperate to ef-y feet an elevational gun adjustment upon the rotation of the post in said socket, and means for releasably holding said post against rotation with- 'in the socket, comprising a pair of spring-pressed lconical members slidable in said support tangentially of said post, said post having a tapered peripheral groove engageable by said conical members with a wedging action thereby to hold said post xed against movement within the socket of said support.

5. A separable mount for an aircraft gun, adapted for elevational gun adjustment, comprising a support attachable to the aircraft and having a cylindrical socketl open at the bottom, a normally iixed member trunnioned tothe gun and having a threaded bore, a threaded post having an annular shoulder seated on said support and a lower journal ntting into said socket and adapted for axial withdrawal upwardly therefrom, said post extending into the threaded bore of said member,-rotation of said post in the socket effecting elevational gun adjustment, and means .for releasably holding said post against rotation support tangentially o f said post, the lowest journalled portion of said post presenting a conically' grooved portion engageable by said conical members with a wedging action to releasably hold said v shoulder firmly pressed down on said support.

6. Apparatus for supporting a rearm entirely enclosed within the restricted volume of a thin aircraft wing, comprising: a base frame attachable to the inside bottom of the wing and having longitudinally-extending, upright, side-members; transverse connecting members spanning said side members; a carriage movably mounted on said connecting members for transverse movement; means for adjusting said carriages transverse movement; said carriage having a socket, a block trunnioned on the rearm below'the lower face thereof and having a threaded bore, and a relatively short, upright, threaded-post journalled at its lower end in the carriage socket and projecting upwardly therefrom in threaded engagement with said block, said post telescoping within said block in the lowermost adjustment of said device to thereby'minimize the vertical space existing,

between the rearm and the bottom of the wing.

7. In a separable gun mount: a transversely adjustable mounting member having a flat seat and a cylindrical socket formed therethrough under said seat, a gun post rotatable to vertically adjust a cooperating gun and having a shoulder normally vresting upon said seat, a journal rotat able in said socket and connected to the gun post for unitary rotation therewith and having a tal pered groove formed in its periphery and releasable-locking means engageable within said groove to press saidv shoulder down upon said seat and theeby prevent the rotation of said journal and pos 8..The combination with a gun, of a mounting y member pivoted thereto having an internally threaded bore, a xedframe, a carriage carried by the frame for adjustment in the plane thereof having a socket therein, a threaded gun post journaled in said socket and coacting with the threads of the bore of said mounting for the adjustment of the gun, and means for removably and rotatably securing said post in said socket.

9. In a separable gun mount, a member having a'socket, Aa gun post seatable in said socket, and releasable locking means comprising a pair of conical members slidable in said member and disposed tangentially to said post in a plane trans- I MANUEL S. UNTERMAN. 

